Paper plug removal from drilled reams

ABSTRACT

A device for drilling reams of paper utilizing a hollow drill and compressed air to eject the plugs formed by the drill up through the drill to an accumulating station.

United States Patent 1191 Bodycomb Dec. 25, 1973 PAPER PLUG REMOVAL FROM DRILLED [56] References Cited REAMS UNITED STATES PATENTS [75] Inventor: Alistair Kenyon Bodycomb, Baie 2,169,891 8/1939 Beal et al 83/98 DUrfe, Quebec, Canada 2,963,058 12/1960 Carlson I 1,808,472 6/1931 Mielke 408/205 x [73] Ass1gnee: Domtar Llmlted, Montreal, Canada [22] Filed: Feb. 22, 1972 Primary ExaminerFrancis S. Husar An C. A. R I 21 Appl. No.: 228,043 ey [57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl 408/61, 4088;668g840883/8978, A device for drilling reams of paper utilizing a hollow Int Cl k drill and compressed air to eject the plugs formed by l O v u u v l u l v u u I a a I v a u 0 u I u u u 0 0 0 o 0 8 I I n u 1 I d 11 h d ll t l t t [58] Field of Search 83/98, 99, 658, 926 H; .6 up 8 o a mg S a 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3.781.124

sum w 2 FIG. 2

PAPER PLUG REMOVAL FROM DRILLEDREAMS FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a drill, more specifically, the present invention relates to a plug ejection system for a hollow drill cutting through a ream of paper.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART In the process of drilling reams of paper, circular plugs consisting of a plurality of discrete paper discs are formed by hollow drills driven completely through the ream into an anvil member. The plugs so formed must be removed from the drilled hole. In the prior art, these plugs are continually forced up through the drill by the plugs formed from the hollow reams. Each plug is forced into the drill beyond the tapered section formed by the sharpening angle at the free end of the drill by the anvil member. Theoretically, the plugs are then retained in the drill and moved with the drill as it is retracted. In the next drilling operation the new plug being formed pushes the initial plug farther up through the drill until eventually these plugs are removed sequentially at the top of the drill. This system is not completely satisfactory as in many cases at least some of the discs forming these plugs fall out of the drill and lodge in the drilled hole in the ream. No foolproof method has been devised to remove the lodged discs. Generally, a crude method of hitting the ream against a table to shake the discs loose is used.

Attempts have been made to overcome the above problem, for example, various materials have been proposed for the anvil to project the plugs a sufficient distance into the drill that no discs will fall out without breaking the anvil or ruining the drill too quickly. Attempts also have been made to assist withdrawing the plug through the top of the drill by applying suction at the top of the drill as shown for example in Canadian Pat. No. 531,499, issued Oct. 9, 1956 to Spiller et al., but his does not effectively-overcome the above problem.

The latest drilling equipment is capable of drilling at considerably higher speed than earlier equipment of this kind, and the limiting factor has become the speed with which plugs can be removed from the drill reams. The present system permits much faster operation and facilitates automation of the drilling. It also better ensures that no discs or plugs formed by drilling are left in the ream thereby ensuring that in subsequent use of equipment better operation is obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved system for rejecting the plugs from hollow drills.

Broadly, the present invention relates to a drilling mechanism comprising a hollow drill having an axially extending passage, an anvil member, an aperture through said anvil aligned with the passage through said hollow drill, means for supplying compressed air to said aperture in said anvil member whereby a plug formed by drilling with said hollow drill is ejected through said hollow drill by said compressed air emanating from said aperture in said anvil member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Further features, objects and advantages will be evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a side elevation view with parts omitted for clarity and showing parts of the apparatus in section; FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial side elevation view illustrating the drill extended through the ream in the initial stages of application of the air pressure through the aperture in the anvil;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating the layout and control arrangement of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an isometric view of one form of insert for the anvil member.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. I, basically the machine comprises a head 10 bodily movable on a suitable support post 12 relative to a platform 14. A rotative driven drill 18 is mounted in and moves with the head 10 and cooperates with an anvil member 16 on platform 14 when the drill 18 cuts through a ream of paper 20.

The head 10 is provided with a suitable hold-down mechanism 22 having an arm 24 that bears on the top of the ream 20. The arm 24 is mounted in a shaft 28 which is biased by a spring 26 extending between an abutment 30 on the head 10 to urge the arm 24 onto the ream 20 while permitting relative movement between the head 10 and arm 24.

Drill 18 is rotatably mounted on the head 10 by a suitable clamping mechanism such as chuck 34 which is driven via a drive mechanism not shown through a shaft means 36. the drill 18 is hollow and communicates with a passage 38 provided in the shaft means 36. The passage 38 has a cutout opening 40 on one side thereof which intermittently communicates with a passage 42 in the head 10 to permit plugs 100 ejected through the top of the drill 18 to be disposed of. The passage 42 leads to any suitable collecting chamber.

The support table 14 as above indicated is provided with an anvil 16. This anvil 16 in the illustrated arrangement is composed of a washer 44 having an aperture 46 overlying an aperture 48 in a fitting 50. The aperture 48 is connected to an air conduit 54 by a passage 56 through the mounting block 52. The passages 46 and 48 are aligned with the hollow drill rod 18. In the illustrated arrangement, the washer 44 is clamped between the fitting 50 and a peripheral flange or lip 51 on the block 52 (see FIG. '2) or prevent rotation of the washer when contacted by the drill.

The air supply to the conduit 54 is actuated by means of a microswitch 62 which is adjustably mounted on the head 10 by means of a wing nut 64. The microswitch 62 is actuated by contact with the abutment 66 projecting laterally from the arm 24 and is adjusted to actuate the solenoid valve or the like schematically illustrated at 68 in FIG. 4 to open the valve 70 as the free end of the drill 18 contacts or is about to contact the washer 44.

The composition or materials from which the washer 44 is fabricated is important for the best operation. The material should have proper resilience and abrasion resistance to push the plug into the drill bit and to permit the drill bit to cut a short distance into it without causing appreciable damage to the drill and only minimum damage to the washer. Many different materials have been proposed. Generally, in conventional designs wood is used as the anvil member, however, this is not satisfactory for the present invention since an aperture must be provided. TEFLON (registered trade mark) has been suggested but has not been found particularly satisfactory. The best material applicant has found to date is a product sold under the trade mark IMPAX which is an ultrahigh molecular weight polyolefin polymer sold by AC. Impact Plastic lndustries Limited, Dorval, Quebec, Canada.

The use of a washer extends the life of this material by permitting same to be turned over after one side becomes worn, thereby in effect doubling the life of the material.

While circular washers have been shown, it will be apparent that these may be of any shape. They could, for example, be in the form of a strip having a plurality of apertures therethrough, and which could be slid along the anvil member to align these apertures in succession with the apertures 48 and therafter be inverted so that the opposite side of the strip could be used in the same manner. Similarly, rectangular washers could be used and the block 52 modified to permit the washer to be inserted from above and locked in position by a suitable easily released catch to facilitate changing the washers.

It is believed that the operation of the device will be apparent from the above, and therefore only a very brief description of the operation will be provided.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the drill 18 rotates at a high rpm. and cuts through the ream 20 to form the plug 100 which consists of a plurality of discrete flat paper discs 102 that become dome-shaped due to compression as they are forced into the drill 18. The inside diameter of the drill is smaller than the diameter of the discs 102 (see FIG. 2) and the discs must thus be reduced in diameter as they are forced into the drill. The drill 18 proceeds through the ream 20 and when it contacts with the washer 44 or immediately therebefore the microswitch 62 is actuated which in turn actuates the solenoid 68 to open the valve 70 and permit compressed air which is well above atmospheric pressure to enter the tube 54 and proceed through passages 56, 48 and 46 into contact with the plug 100 and blow the plug up through the drill l8 and through the passages 38 and 42 to a collecting zone.

The air pressure should be at least sufficicntly high to move the plug up into the drill and ensure that it does not fall out when the drill is retracted. Preferably, suffcient pressure will be applied to drive the plug up through the top of the drill and out of the equipment thereby better ensuring that the plug does not fall into the drilled hole. To ensure that the plug is removed the pressure of about psi has been found quite satisfactory for a standard ream (pressure may vary depending on the characteristics and the amount of paper being drilled). Thus generally a pressure of at least about 50 psi will be maintained in the pipe 38 but preferably the device will operate with about 80 psi.

Modifications will be evident to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A drilling mechanism for drilling the holes through a stack of paper sheets comprising a hollow drill having a cutting edge and an axial passage therethrough, said cutting edge cutting on a radius larger than said passage, means to rotate said drill, a replaceable anvil member having an aperture aligned with said passage, means for preventing rotation of said anvil member, means for axially advancing said drill to cut successively through said paper sheets and into said anvil member thereby to form a plurality of discrete paper discs, means for directing air under pressure to said aperture, means for controlling the flow of said air under pressure to said aperture and into said passage whereby a plug composed of a plurality of said discrete discs is ejected through said passage by said air under pressure immediately after formation of said plug.

2. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said replaceable anvil member is formed from an ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin polymer. 

1. A drilling mechanism for drilling the holes through a stack of paper sheets comprising a hollow drill having a cutting edge and an axial passage therethrough, said cutting edge cutting on a radius larger than said passage, means to rotate said drill, a replaceable anvil member having an aperture aligned with said passage, means for preventing rotation of said anvil member, means for axially advancing said drill to cut successively through said paper sheets and into said anvil member thereby to form a plurality of discrete paper discs, means for directing air under pressure to said aperture, means for controlling the flow of said air under pressure to said aperture and into said passage whereby a plug composed of a plurality of said discrete discs is ejected through said passage by said air under pressure immediately after formation of said plug.
 2. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said replaceable anvil member is formed from an ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin polymer. 